I have no words... This book was perfect. The writing was *chef's kiss*. YA so no spice but it didn't need any. 17 year old me would've appreciated the f*ck out of this book. 29 year old me REALLY appreciates this story. I cried-and if a book makes me cry then it means it's really good!

This book was enjoyable to read and I couldn't put it down.

This book chronicles the friendship between Ethan and Rebecca from eight years ago to the present day. Both have struggled through hard times. Ethan’s life has been through his mother’s addition. Rebecca is faced with the challenges of coping with her father's death and being in a wheelchair. In the book, their relationship in the present went back and forth.

While reading the book, it shows many things like coping, grief, friendships, relationships, family additions, and other things.

Thanks to the publishers at Inkyard Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in order for a review.

Sadly, this book fell extremely flat for me. If it was not an ARC that I received, I would have DNFed it.

The story was promising - the idea of decades of pain and always coming back together, but still trying to navigate all of the lingering hurt that existed, was really beautiful. However, the main characters were beyond frustrating. They were teenagers who acted like every single person and thing in the universe was there to vex them - which ended up making me roll my eyes repeatedly.

Ethan was dealing with a lot - as someone who has thankfully never seen addiction firsthand, I am certainly not the expert here, but the way Ethan reacted to the people around him, especially his grandparents who had only ever given him a safe and stable life, was disrespectful. It made Ethan incredibly unlikeable and I was not rooting for him and his happiness.

Rebecca wasn't much better. As someone who has lost their father, her story hit closer to home. But her relationship with her mother, who claims to not know how to be a mother after 17+ years, was unrealistic and painful to read.

The whole story was a constant boomerang of Ethan leaving, Rebecca being sad, Ethan being selfish, Rebecca not expressing her emotions, and repeat. It was not enjoyable, I did not care if they had happy endings, and it just felt like the whole thing was trying to be more poignant and substantial than it actually was.

Now Rebecca is a budding jewelry designer/maker and is coming to terms with the fact that she became paralyzed in an accident that killed her father. Now Ethan is dealing with living with his grandparents while his mother tries rehab again. Eight years ago, Rebecca and Ethan became friends the first time he stayed with his grandparents while his mother tried rehab. Rebecca is his grandparents' neighbor. The novel goes back and forth in time, slowly filling in the gaps in the relationship between Rebecca and Ethan. They are very close friends who depend on each other for support, except that whenever Ethan's mother returns from rehab, he just leaves with her, not saying anything to Rebecca and not communicating with her while he's in California. Both Rebecca and Ethan have difficult relationships with their parents and I thought the author did a good job dealing with those issues in a realistic manner. I read this book in about four hours, so it held my interest and was an enjoyable read. My one negative comment is that as an alumna of CSUN, I was very frustrated with the author consistently referring to it as "California State University Northridge." No one refers to it in that way, including the university itself in it's own publications. It's either CSUN or CSU, Northridge.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

I really liked this book. It was a really good read and well written. Thank you for the ARC! I really appreciate it!

I went into this book without really knowing what I was getting myself into and WOW was I surprised. I absolutely LOVED this book and I loved the way the Author included such a wide range of emotional honesty. I can see my young adult patrons really connecting to this book. This will definitely be a popular book at my library!

3.5!!!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such a cute read. It was dual POV which I love, friends to lovers, which I also love, and it hit on some really big topics that many can relate to. From strained relationships with parents, to abandonment, to guilt and grief, to finding things that fuel soul - this book had it all.

I absolutely loved loved loved the character growth from both the male and female in this book and thought it was well done.

Thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for an ARC of Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson. This was a fantastic book that dealt with addiction, survivor guilt, child as caregiver, life changing accident and death of a parent. It’s also a story of love, resilience and friendship.

Ethan and Rebecca have been friends since they were small. Ethan is brought to his grandparents’ house intermittently over the years when his mother goes to rehab or can’t take care of him. Rebecca, same age, lives next door with a demonstrative father and a mother who lacks the ability to show care in the traditional sense. Ethan and Rebecca become fast friends but he leaves with his mom every time she returns. One fateful night Rebecca and her father are in a horrible accident where she is paralyzed and he dies. Rebecca and Ethan don’t see each other for another two years and when he returns she is scared of her feelings for him because she knows he will leave again and she has had enough loss, that now includes a mother she believes blames her for her father’s death.

Ms. Johnson writes so well about the complex subject matter, including navigating life from a wheelchair. I learned so much about the strength of wheelchair users and how thoughtless those of us who aren’t similarly abled can be by not thinking of life from their perspective. The scene at the engagement party in particular really drove that home for me.

This is a beautiful story, poignant to the point where I cried for the characters, but ended with hope for the future. Please read this book-it’s wonderful!

This was one that didn't take me long to read. Told from the perspective of Ethan and Rebecca through their childhood this is a coming of age story that deals with some pretty big issues. Each character has trauma to deal with and each tend to keep their feelings to themselves. They first met when Ethan came to live with his Grandparents while his mom, "was sick". The friendship that developed over time was beautiful and also painful. I don't want to give too much away but, I can say that I cried A LOT. If you have students who are looking for a story about resilience, real life situations, or you are looking for a story about a character in a wheelchair, this could be the one. It had an Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon vibe to it, maybe with a little less romance but I know YA readers will really like this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

EVERY TIME YOU GO AWAY is an incredible YA novel full of yearning and trauma and growth. The disability rep in it is wonderful and much-needed, the slow-burn romance gave me chills, and overall this one just hit a sweet spot for me. Be prepared to get emotional over this fantastic book!

Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson was a good read for the summer. It was authentic and gave readers a view of the struggle the protagonists had. More importantly, it gave the readers a sense of how these two young people were able to push on through adversity and to keep positive even when it was difficult to do so. Both of the main characters were likeable even when they were struggling. Although Rebecca's support system extended beyond her family, and Ethan's was not the part of his family that he longed for, each still had important people in their lives to be there for them. I cheered them on.

I feel like this book brought a lot of awareness around the difficulties someone in a wheelchair can have in this world and expressed how everyplace should be wheelchair accessible. You never really think about it really unless it is affecting you, or at least I haven’t; but it really made me think about it. I really connected with Ethan’s story having to deal with a family member who struggled with addiction her whole life and how that effected me as a child. I also related a little bit to Rebecca and her Relationship with her mother. I was so emotionally invested in this story right from the beginning.

Ethan and Rebecca have been friends for years, and every time his mom goes to rehab Ethan stays with his grandparents and he gets to see Rebecca. Two years ago, Rebecca, a paraplegic, was in an accident and is now in a wheelchair. Now that they’re 17, Ethan is back at his grandparents because his mom once again is in rehab. When they find out his mom checked out of rehab, Ethan wants to look for her. Rebecca knows Ethan will leave again, and feels unsettled because every time he leaves it hurts more. Ethan says if our friendship isn’t enough maybe we shouldn’t be in each other’s lives. Can they mend their friendship? Does Ethan find his mom?

Every time you go away is a heart wrenching story of drug abuse, neglect, loss, and absent parents. Ethan and Rebecca must learn to grow through their own childhood trauma to love fulfilled lives together.

I really enjoyed reading this story. Ethan and Rebecca were both very relatable characters, and the author did a nice job conveying the grief, pain, and conflict each of them felt. I liked how the author displayed their growth with the help of others, because anyone who has been through what Rebecca and Ethan had experienced knows you can’t get through it alone.

Thank you NetGalley and ink yard press for my ARC.

"Every Time You Go Away" by Abigail Johnson is a deeply emotional and poignant contemporary YA novel that delves into themes of grief, forgiveness, and self-discovery. Told from alternating perspectives, the story follows Tegan and her older brother Gabe as they navigate the aftermath of their father's sudden death. Johnson's evocative prose and well-developed characters create an immersive reading experience, making it impossible not to empathize with the characters' struggles and emotions. This heartfelt and beautifully written novel explores the complexities of family dynamics and the healing power of love and acceptance.

Title: Every Time You Go Away
Author: Abigail Johnson
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Publishing Date: Dec 5, 2023
Pages: 368
Genre: YA, Romance
Rating: ☆☆☆☆

This book was soooo emotional.
I actually really enjoyed it more than I thought, and I was already looking forward to it. It was very tough to read because of the subject matter, so I would definitely warn readers (especially the YA ones) with CW before diving into this one.
It was so well written with really raw elements. The characters were believable and realistic. The dialogue was so real and really added to the story. I definitely felt for all the characters and felt an emotional connection to the book.
IMO, for a book to be 5 stars it needs to be epic, world building, exciting, and something that I can’t ever forget. This was a very well written, amazing story that I really enjoyed but it just missed that last star because I don’t feel like I’ll be thinking of this book for the rest of my life. I would definitely recommend (with CWs!) and definitely loved reading it though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for sending this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Every Time You Go Away by Abigail Johnson
Publisher Ink Yard Press
Release Date December 05, 2023


Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5


I am almost in tears as I write this review because this book is a book about more than just romance and friendship. It is also about overcoming challenges. Both characters had to deal will very hard trials that can either make you strong or bitter. Johnson’s writing is very immersive and thought provoking. The author has the ability to tell a beautifully crafted story and keep the readers engaged and immersed in the story. I honestly do not think I can say enough about how great this book is. Even though it is a YA genre, it crosses over as well and anyone that reads it will feel the powerful emotions it evokes. I cried, I laughed, and I cried some more. It is a powerful story about love, friendship, and overcoming trials.
In this book we meet Ethan and Rebecca. Both very strong, well developed, flawed characters. They met roughly eight years ago and Ethan had to move with his mother who was an addict his whole life. Rebecca’s life changed in an instant. After an accident that killed her father, she lost the use of her legs and was wheel chair bound. However, now the two of them have a choice to make. Will this bring them closer or will it tear them apart?
I love, love, love this book and KNOW that you will as well. Get your copy on release day.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

This book was one I did not want to put down! The main characters, Rebecca and Ethan, were written so beautifully. One could not help but feel like they knew them personally. For myself, the emotions of these two young adults and the struggles and guilt they felt can be relatable to many young adults...especially those that find themselves in situations like Ethan and Rebecca. Abigail Johnson really took me on a rollercoaster ride with this story of self-reflection and friendship and learning to speak up while taking control of one's own life.

Every Time You Go Away - Abigail Johnson
Everytime Ethan shows up at his grandparents house, Rebecca tries to cherish their time together, but every time he leaves, only saying goodbye by leaving a flower on her windowsill, it hurts a bit more.
Ethan became her best friend, her partner in crime, and her very first kiss. His life with his mom is one Rebecca doesn't fully understand, but tries to be there for him regardless.
Three years ago is the last time they have seen each other. Ethan leaving to take care of his drug addict mother.
Two years ago, Rebecca and her father were in a car accident that left Rebecca in a wheelchair and her father dead.
When Ethan finally returns, they try to navigate their friendship and newfound feelings that are there between them. But will the pains from their individual pasts keep them apart, or will they figure out how to move on from the past and be the people they want to be?
I needed a change from all the dark novels I've been reading, and thought "hey, this looks cute!" I never expected the heart wrenching coming of age story but I absolutely devoured it. It's definitely a YA novel but was such an easy read. You could really feel both Rebecca and Ethan's pain and rooted for them from the very beginning to become more than their tragedies. This one doesn't come out until December, but definitely needs added to you TBR list. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!